You Tube videos of the Great Walks of New Zealand

The Great Walks...on video!

I have stumbled across a series of You Tube videos made by some Canadian trampers who came to New Zealand to specifically tramp the Great Walks.

The Milford Track 'Great Walk' video page on YouTube

 What are the Great Walks?

The Great Walks consist of 10 iconic tramping tracks/routes located around the country.

The tracks include the following, listed north to south:

Lake Waikaremoana Circuit
Tongariro Northern Circuit
Whanganui River Journey
Abel Tasman Coastal Walk
Heaphey Track
Pike 29 Memorial Track (under construction in 2017)
Routeburn Track
Kepler Alpine Track
Milford Track
Rakiura Track


2017 Update:
There are also a number of Great Day Walks and two new Great Walks (plus the Pike 29) planned for the DOC estate. They have been highlighted in the 2017 government budget but wither they are built or not probably depends on if the NZ National Party returns to power.

An orgy or gorgeous scenery...

 I recommend you check out these videos if you are thinking about walking one of these tracks. It gives you a taste of what you can expect as well as providing our glorious scenery it all its glory.  

A selection of their other Great Walk videos

It really makes you want to get out there and walk some of these tracks.

Here are a couple of links to some of the videos:

Kepler Track: 

Lake Waikaremoana:

Milford Track: 

Some other information about the Great Walks

You should buy or borrow a copy of Craig Potton's book: Great Walks of New Zealand, the photos are awesome and the book as a whole is gorgeous.

Awesome book on the Great Walks, updated in late 2016

The book was revised in 2016 and features new photos and more up to date track/hut information. 

My Great Walk Roster

I'm working my way through the Great Walks roster, Im about half way. So far I've tramped/MTB ridden the Heaphy Track, rafted the Whanganui River Journey, tramped the Lake Waikaremoana Circuit, Tongariro Crossing and parts of the Abel Tasman Coastal.

I would really like to hike the Fiordland tracks: the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford Track. They can be hard to book, as they are so popular. Places in the huts usually go within a couple of hours of becoming available in late May each year.

Milford Track Hut booking- totally full for 2017-2018

I have plans to tramp the Rakiura Track as part of my Te Araroa Trail walk, possibly early in 2018 if I can arrange it. 

Sighhhh...best get to saving that $$$$ Jon.... 'cause its damn expensive to stay in the Great Walk huts now (2017: $100 per night for some of the huts)! If I was to just walk the Milford Track all up it would cost in the region of $900 including transport, accommodation, hut passes, food etc.

That's more than I spend on 5-6 non Great Walk tramps. Choices ehh!